1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mud flap mounting device and more particularly a mud flap mounting device which provides for easy mounting and removing of a mud flap to a vehicle frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mud guards or mud flaps are used primarily behind dual rear wheel truck and trailer vehicles. Because the trucks may go at great speeds and some heavy mud may be thrown up against the mud flap at a great force, the mud flap must have the ability to flex in the forward and rearward directions, as well as in the vertical direction. The lack of the ability to flex results in the tearing or ripping of the mud flap or breaking of the supports which mount the flap to the frame. Some mud flaps have been adapted so that the mounting structure comprises a single piece of springlike bar stock bent in a shape for spring and mud guards and for flexing in all directions. For an example, see Betts, U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,849 issued on Feb. 7, 1961, and Juergens, U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,757 issued Jan. 1, 1975.
Other mounting assemblies for mud flaps use a rigid hanger assembly and resiliently bias the hanger assembly to a seat which is attached to the frame of a vehicle. For an example, see Prohl et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,953 issued on Sept. 17, 1968, and Juergens, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,281 issued on May 4, 1976.
Even with the spring and resiliently biased, mud flaps often need to be replaced. To efficiently and easily replace the mud flap, it is desirable that the whole mud flap assembly be removed from the frame so that the old mud flap can be removed from the arm and a new mud flap replaced onto the arm free from the dirts, cold, and dangers of replacing the mud flap on the arm while the arm is attached to the frame underneath the truck body. Quick removal is also desirable if the flap assembly is to be moved from one frame location to another. Many bracket mounts have been devised to ease the ability of the removal of the mud flap assembly. Many mud flap mounts consist of a tubular guideway attached to the frame and the arm has a downwardly bent portion which snap fits into the guideway. For an example, see Hammerly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,901 issued on Jan. 27, 1976, and Jossy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,137 issued on Jan. 4, 1972.
However, for mud flap assemblies which have a resiliently biased face plate abutting a seat, there is no satisfactory bracket mount which removably mounts the seat assembly to the frame. The seat is merely bolted onto the frame. Removal of the hanger assembly requires either that the nuts be unfastened which could be a tedius job because the threaded bolts may have been rusted over or be coated with sludge and dirt. Another way to remove the mud flap assembly is to unseat the face plate from the seat which requires that the tension spring seating the face plate into the seat be released therefrom. The release of the spring could be troublesome and dangerous and also cause difficulty in remounting.